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Anchor: Eid prayer time approximated to mid-morning UTC on 9 March 2027. Your local Eid prayer will follow the masjid schedule on the night of the moonsighting.
Eid al-Fitr
Tue 9 Mar 2027
Pending local moonsighting
Zakat al-Fitr by
Before Eid salah
So the poor can celebrate too
Eid prayer
After sunrise
Before midday, in the masjid
The meaning
What Eid al-Fitr is, and why we celebrate it
Eid al-Fitr is the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.” It marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth Islamic month, and the beginning of Shawwāl, the tenth. It is one of two annual celebrations in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha at the close of the Hajj.
The Qur'ān gives the celebration its origin in the verse of fasting itself:
وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ
“...so that you may complete the prescribed number of days, and that you may glorify Allah for guiding you, and that you may be grateful.”
Sūrat al-Baqarah, 2:185
That verse is the source of the takbīr you hear from sunset on the last day of Ramadan through to the Eid prayer. It is the source of the celebration itself. Eid is not about food or new clothes. It is the moment a fasting community formally thanks the One who carried them through the month.
The first time
The first Eid in Madinah
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah in 1 AH, he found the people of the city celebrating two festival days, holdovers from the pre-Islamic era. He asked what they were. They told him.
He ﷺ replied: “Allah has replaced them for you with two days that are better: the day of al-Fitr and the day of al-Adha.” (Abū Dāwūd 1134, ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ)
The first Eid al-Fitr was celebrated in the second year after the Hijra, after the first Ramadan of fasting was completed. Anas ibn Mālik narrated that the Prophet ﷺ went out for Eid prayer to an open space outside Madinah, the muṣallā, and prayed two rakʿah without adhan or iqāmah, then turned to the people and addressed them (Bukhārī 956).
From that day, the form of Eid has been remarkably stable: a fresh ghusl in the morning, the best clothes, dates eaten before going, walking to the prayer ground, two rakʿah with extra takbīrs, a khutbah after, and the day spent in connection. Twenty centuries on, that is still it.
The night before
Laylat al-ʿĪd: the night the moon is sighted
The night between the last day of Ramadan and the first day of Shawwāl is sometimes called Laylat al-ʿĪd, and it has its own quiet weight. Several Companions reported that whoever stands the two Eid nights in worship, his heart will not die on the day hearts die (Ibn Mājah 1782, scholars differ on the chain; the meaning, at minimum, is reliable practice).
After ʿIshāʾ, when the moon for Shawwāl has been confirmed, the takbīr begins. It continues until the imām opens the Eid prayer the next morning. You can recite it walking home from the masjid, putting children to bed, laying out clothes for the morning. Every utterance counts.
It is also the deadline for paying Zakat al-Fitr if you are paying in food rather than cash. The Companions paid a day or two early to make sure the family receiving it could cook with it for the Eid morning meal.
The sound of Eid
Listen to the takbīr
Recited from the moonsighting of Shawwāl through the day of Eid. Loop it at home while you cook, while you dress, while you walk to the masjid. The full text is below the player.
ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ، وَٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلَّٰهِ ٱلْحَمْد
Ahmad Al-Amade, Qatar
Transliteration
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illa-llāh, wa-llāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar wa-li-llāhi l-ḥamd.
Translation
“Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah. And Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.”
When to recite
- 1From the confirmed sighting of the Shawwāl moon at maghrib of the last day of Ramadan.
- 2Continuously through the night, especially after Maghrib, ʿIshāʾ, and Fajr prayers.
- 3On the way to the Eid prayer ground, out loud for men, quietly for women.
- 4Until the imām opens the Eid prayer with the first takbīr.
The morning
Eight sunan of Eid al-Fitr
Walk through Eid morning the way the Prophet ﷺ did. Each is light, deliberate, and quietly distinct from a normal Friday.
Step 1
Wake before Fajr, make ghusl
A full bath in the morning. The Companions did this for both Eids. Wear your best clean clothes, or new ones if you have them.
Bayhaqī, ḥasan chain
Step 2
Apply perfume
Recommended for men. The Prophet ﷺ used to apply ṭīb on Fridays and Eids.
Step 3
Eat an odd number of dates before going
The Prophet ﷺ never left for Eid al-Fitr without eating a few dates, usually three, five, or seven.
Bukhārī 953
Step 4
Walk to the masjid if you can
It is sunnah to walk to the Eid prayer rather than drive, if the distance allows.
Tirmidhī 530, ḥasan
Step 5
Take a different route home
The Prophet ﷺ would return from Eid prayer by a different path than the one he came on, so different streets witness the takbīr.
Bukhārī 986
Step 6
Recite the takbīr on the way
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illā-llāh, wa-llāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar wa-li-llāhi l-ḥamd. Out loud for men, quietly for women, until the imām begins the prayer.
Step 7
Greet family, visit relatives
After the prayer, the day is for connection. The Prophet ﷺ would let young girls sing innocent songs on Eid day at his home (Bukhārī 952).
Step 8
Keep one good deed past Eid
The night ends, the discipline doesn't have to. Pick one habit from Ramadan to carry through Shawwāl, even small.
The prayer
How to pray Eid salah, step by step
First rakʿah
7 additional takbīrs
- 1. Niyyah for Eid prayer, follow the imām.
- 2. Opening takbīr (Allāhu akbar) with the imām.
- 3. Seven additional takbīrs, raising hands each time.
- 4. Imām recites al-Fātiḥa, then often Sūrah al-Aʿlā (87).
- 5. Rukūʿ, sujūd, sit, sujūd, stand for second.
Second rakʿah
5 additional takbīrs
- 1. Stand for second rakʿah.
- 2. Five additional takbīrs before al-Fātiḥa, raising hands each time.
- 3. Imām recites al-Fātiḥa, then often Sūrah al-Ghāshiyah (88).
- 4. Rukūʿ, sujūd, tashahhud, salām.
- 5. Stay seated for the khutbah.
The seven-and-five takbīr count is the Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Hanbalī position based on the ḥadīth of ʿĀʾisha (Abū Dāwūd 1149). The Hanafī position is three additional in each rakʿah. Follow the local imām, the difference is permissible scholarly disagreement.
How to pray the daily salah, step by stepImportant
Pay your Zakat al-Fitr before the prayer
Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim, head of household, including children and the unborn (Mālikī view). It must be paid before the Eid prayer. If paid after, it counts as ordinary ṣadaqa.
The Prophet ﷺ said it is a purification of the fasting person from idle and indecent speech, and food for the poor (Abū Dāwūd 1609). One ṣāʿ (≈ 2.5 to 3 kg) of the staple food per person, or its cash equivalent in your local currency. Most masjids accept payment from a week before Eid.
From wake to sleep
An hour-by-hour plan for Eid day
A loose guide, not a script. Slot in your family, your masjid time, your travel. The shape is sunnah, the timings flex.
Wake, make ghusl, lay out clothes
Pre-dawn
A full bath, the cleanest version of yourself. Lay out the family's clothes before Fajr so the morning isn't rushed.
Pray Fajr in congregation
Fajr
Fajr the same as any day, in the masjid if you can. The day's first prayer sets the tone.
Eat three dates, take a different route
Sunrise + 15 min
The smallest sunnah of the morning, never skipped by the Prophet ﷺ. Then start walking to the muṣallā or masjid, reciting the takbīr out loud.
Eid salah and khutbah
Mid-morning
Two rakʿah with the extra takbīrs. Stay for the khutbah after. The Prophet ﷺ would address men first, then walk over to address the women.
Greet, hug, return home a different way
After prayer
Taqabbalallāhu minnā wa minkum to everyone you meet. A different route home is part of the sunnah.
Family breakfast, sweet first
Late morning
The first sip of something sweet to remember the verse, and that the discipline is over. Children get their Eidi.
Visit family and friends
Midday
Parents first, then grandparents, then uncles and aunts. In some cultures the visiting lasts all three days of Eid.
Rest, ʿAṣr, gifts for the kids
Afternoon
Pray ʿAṣr without delay even on Eid. The Prophet ﷺ permitted young girls to sing innocent songs at his home on Eid (Bukhārī 952).
Iftar with whoever is around
Maghrib
The first sunset of Shawwāl, you don't have to break a fast. Just sit, eat, be grateful.
One good deed to carry forward
After ʿIshāʾ
Pick the smallest habit from Ramadan you want to keep: one āyah, two rakʿah, one istighfar. Write it down. The Prophet ﷺ said the most beloved deeds are those done consistently, even small.
One Eid, many cultures
Eid around the world
The prayer is the same. The tradition around it shifts beautifully by geography. Twelve regions and what makes their Eid unmistakable.
Saudi Arabia
Open-air muṣallā prayers
Massive open-air prayer grounds in every major city. After prayer, families gather for a brunch heavy with kabsa, dates, and Saudi qahwa with cardamom.
United Arab Emirates
ʿīdiyya in crisp notes
Children visit older relatives' homes; every house has prepared envelopes of fresh AED notes. Public Eid prayers in stadiums and majālis, broadcast on national TV.
Turkey
Ramazan Bayramı, three days
Officially called the 'Sugar Feast' (Şeker Bayramı). Children kiss the back of an elder's hand and press it to their forehead in respect, and receive candy and a coin.
Egypt
Kaʿk al-ʿīd baking week
Families bake stacks of kaʿk, semolina shortbread cookies dusted in powdered sugar, in the days leading up to Eid. Mosques fill before sunrise.
Pakistan & India
Chaand raat, then sheer khurma
The night the moon is sighted is itself a festival, called Chaand Raat. Markets stay open till dawn. The morning meal is sheer khurma, vermicelli simmered in milk with dates and pistachios.
Bangladesh
Eid greetings on national television
Whole country shuts down. The president gives an Eid address. The morning starts with Eid salah in Sholakia, one of the largest Eid jamāʿats in the world, half a million people.
Indonesia & Malaysia
Lebaran, the homecoming
Called Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Twenty million Indonesians travel home for Eid in the largest annual human migration on earth, called mudik. Houses are decorated with ketupat lanterns.
Morocco
Sfenj at sunrise
Eid breakfast features sfenj, a Maghrebī ring-shaped doughnut fried fresh in the street. After prayer, families exchange visits with mint tea.
Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine)
Maʿmūl on every table
Maʿmūl, semolina cookies stuffed with date paste, walnuts, or pistachios, baked the week before. Children go house to house collecting ʿīdiyya.
Nigeria & West Africa
Sallah, colour-coded family aṣō
Eid is locally called Sallah. Families wear matching aṣọ ebí (uniform fabric) so you can spot relatives at the prayer ground from across the field. Big communal feasts of rice and meat.
United States & Canada
Convention-centre Eid prayers
Major cities book convention centres for the prayer to hold the community. After prayer, ethnic food, kids' carnivals, photo booths. Many employers now formally observe Eid.
United Kingdom
Eid in the Park
Birmingham hosts the largest Eid prayer in Europe at Small Heath Park, 100,000+ attendees. London adds Eid in the Square at Trafalgar after prayer with cultural performances.
The table
The food of Eid
After thirty days of Iftar at sunset, the first daytime meal of Shawwāl is itself a milestone. Every region cooks something distinct, and almost always something sweet first.
Sheer khurma
South Asia
Vermicelli simmered in milk with dates, pistachios, almonds, and cardamom. Eaten as the first thing after Eid prayer, often before any savoury food.
Maʿmūl
Levant
Semolina shortbread cookies stuffed with dates, walnuts, or pistachios and pressed in carved wooden moulds. Each filling has its own shape.
Kaʿk al-ʿīd
Egypt
Light butter cookies dusted heavily in powdered sugar. Mothers and grandmothers bake huge quantities, and trays go to neighbours.
Kabsa
Arabian Peninsula
Spiced rice with lamb or chicken, the centrepiece of the post-prayer family lunch. Each region has its own spice signature.
Lapis legit & ketupat
Indonesia
Ketupat is rice cooked inside woven palm-leaf pouches, eaten with rendang. Lapis legit is a slow-baked thousand-layer cake. Both anchor the Eid table.
Sfenj
Morocco
Fresh, light doughnuts fried in the street and eaten hot with sweet mint tea. The smell of sfenj on Eid morning in Marrakesh is unforgettable.
Baklava
Turkey & Levant
Layers of paper-thin phyllo, butter, pistachios, and syrup. The most generous host serves baklava cut from the centre, where the syrup pools.
Biryani
South Asia
Slow-cooked layered rice and meat. In many Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi homes, Eid lunch is biryani, full stop.
The tradition of giving
Eidi, the small money for children
Across South Asia, Turkey, the Levant, and the Gulf, children receive a small envelope of cash from elders on Eid morning. It is called Eidi, ʿīdiyya, or by a dozen local names. The amount is symbolic, the feeling is not.
The tradition isn't named in a specific ḥadīth, but the broader sunnah of giving on Eid, breaking isolation, and making the day feel different for the young is well-established. The Prophet ﷺ would smile at children on Eid morning, let his granddaughters Ḥasan and Ḥusayn climb on his shoulders, and never once made the day austere.
A practical note: keep it crisp. Most families withdraw fresh notes a few days before Eid. Even young children remember the smell of new currency.
What to say
Eid greetings
The Companions greeted each other on Eid with:
تَقَبَّلَ اللَّهُ مِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ
Taqabbalallāhu minnā wa minkum
“May Allah accept it from us and from you.” (Reported from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, authentic chain)
“Eid Mubārak” (a blessed Eid) and “Eid Saʿīd” (a happy Eid) are both widely used and unobjectionable.
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Two Eids
Eid al-Fitr vs Eid al-Adha
Two festivals, often confused outside the community. They share a prayer form but mark different things.
| Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha | |
|---|---|---|
| When | 1st of Shawwāl (after Ramadan) | 10th of Dhū al-Ḥijja (after Hajj) |
| Marks | End of Ramadan fasting | Prophet Ibrāhīm's submission, end of Hajj |
| Length | 1 day, often 3 of celebration | 4 days (Tashrīq) |
| Obligatory charity | Zakat al-Fitr before salah | Qurbānī (sacrifice) for those able |
| Pre-prayer meal | Eat dates before Eid salah | Don't eat until after Eid salah |
| Takbīr period | Moonsighting until Eid salah | Fajr of 9th Dhū al-Ḥijja through ʿAṣr of 13th |
Common questions
Frequently asked
When exactly is Eid al-Fitr 2027 in my country?
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Most countries that follow Saudi moonsighting will pray Eid on Tuesday 9 March 2027. Some regions that rely on local sighting may delay by a day if the Shawwāl crescent is not visible. Your local masjid will announce the night before, after ʿIshāʾ.
Is it permissible to fast on Eid al-Fitr?
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No. The Prophet ﷺ explicitly prohibited fasting on the two Eid days (Bukhārī 1992, Muslim 1138). Even someone making up a missed fast must not do so on Eid. Eat, drink, celebrate. That is the obligation of the day.
What if I miss the Eid prayer?
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If you arrive after the imām has finished, you may pray two rakʿah on your own with the extra takbīrs, or simply two rakʿah of nafl. The bigger sunnah is making it on time, so leave early. If you cannot pray at all, the day is still Eid and you should still celebrate.
Can women attend the Eid prayer?
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Yes, and they should. The Prophet ﷺ explicitly instructed women, including those in seclusion and those menstruating, to come out to the Eid prayer ground (Bukhārī 974). Menstruating women do not pray but witness the gathering and share in the duʿāʾ. This is one of the strongest sunan of the day for women.
Is the Eid prayer obligatory (wājib)?
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The Hanafī school considers it wājib on men. The Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Hanbalī schools call it a confirmed sunnah (sunnah muʾakkadah) or sunnah of communal sufficiency. All four schools agree it should not be skipped without strong excuse.
Can I work on Eid?
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It is not prohibited, but it goes against the spirit of the day. The Prophet ﷺ said Eid is for our feasting, drinking, and remembrance (Tirmidhī 773). Many Muslim-majority countries treat it as a public holiday. In non-Muslim countries, request the day off where you can.
What's the difference between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha?
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Eid al-Fitr closes Ramadan in the month of Shawwāl, and the obligatory charity is Zakat al-Fitr. Eid al-Adha closes the Hajj in Dhū al-Ḥijja, and the obligatory worship for those able is Qurbānī, the sacrifice. The prayer form is the same, but the meaning, length, and acts of worship differ.
What should I wear?
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Your best clean clothes. Dressing well for Eid and Jumuʿa was an accepted practice in the Prophet's ﷺ time; when ʿUmar (RA) proposed a fine garment for the two occasions, only the silk was refused (Bukhārī 886). Wearing something new is sunnah where you can afford it. Cleanliness, modesty, and dignity matter more than the price.
What if Ramadan was 29 days, not 30?
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Ramadan is either 29 or 30 days, depending on the moon. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Fast when you see it [the crescent of Ramadan], and break the fast when you see it [the crescent of Shawwāl]. If it is obscured, complete the count of Shaʿbān as thirty days' (Bukhārī 1909). Either length is normal and complete.
What if I'm travelling on Eid?
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A traveller is not obligated to attend the Eid prayer in congregation, but it remains highly recommended if possible. Many airports and major hotels now arrange Eid prayer for travellers. Still pay Zakat al-Fitr from wherever you are.
Is shaking hands or hugging required at Eid greetings?
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The handshake or hug after Eid prayer with the same gender is widespread and welcomed. Between non-maḥrams (men and women not closely related), the verbal greeting is enough. Cultural norms vary, but no Islamic ruling requires physical contact for the greeting.
Can I visit graves on Eid?
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Visiting graves is permitted at any time. Some scholars discourage it specifically on Eid day to avoid sadness on a day of celebration. The Prophet ﷺ did encourage visiting graves generally as a reminder of the ākhira (Muslim 977). If you visit, keep it brief and dignified.
Are fireworks part of Eid?
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Fireworks are a cultural addition with no basis in the Sunnah. They are not prohibited as such, but they often disturb neighbours, frighten elderly and pets, and waste money that could be given as ṣadaqa. Most scholars discourage them.
Can I celebrate Eid if I missed Ramadan fasting due to illness or travel?
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Yes. You celebrate Eid the same as anyone else, and you make up your missed fasts (qaḍāʾ) any time before next Ramadan. The Eid celebration is for the entire community, not contingent on personal completion.
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Eid prayer time at your masjid, the takbīr in audio, Zakat al-Fitr at a tap, the greeting card right there. Free, ad-free, no tracking.